


The Thunder Rolls

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: Thicker than Water [26]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 15:03:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2433116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He made her want to be a giddy girl and a sophisticated woman in the same breath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Thunder Rolls

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written in the **Thicker than Water** universe, where the BAU are kids and teens.

The wind whistled through the room like a shrill song. It didn’t do a thing to cool it off but it was creepy. A storm was raging over the city and shook everything to the core. Rain drenched the streets, thunder crashed and lightning flashed. It was late but Emily was wide awake.

She hated storms; didn’t know if that would ever change. Even safe and loved in his arms, she couldn’t help but tremble. The house was quiet; that only made the thunder louder. Penelope and Spencer took up their usual thunderstorm spot in JJ’s bed. A lot of things bothered JJ but that never did. She took protecting Penelope and Spencer seriously.

Hotch and Morgan were sound asleep on the sofa bed as if it was a starry night. Those boys would probably sleep through the second coming. Emily was where she always was when the storms got too bad. She was surprised to find Jason wide awake when she crept into his room. She’d gotten better with this weather…regular thunderstorms were bearable.

She still stayed awake too long and clutched her covers until her knuckles were white but she survived. Storms like this scared her silly. It made her feel like childish but nearly all of that diminished when Jason held the sheet back. It took everything Emily had not to run full steam into his arms. Nothing could hurt her when she was in his arms.

“Jason?” Emily didn’t know how long they’d been laying there when her words cut through the silence.

“Hmm?”

“You weren't asleep when I came in.”

“Nope.” He shook his head.

“Did the storm keep you awake?”

“No, I was just thinking.”

“What were you thinking about?”

She sat up some to look at him. Jason couldn’t help himself when he kissed her mouth. He could never help himself when she was close. When she was in his arms…all bets were off. Sharing this bed probably wasn’t the best idea he ever had.

It was just a few weeks ago that he’d allowed himself to lose control and leave second base somewhere in the rearview mirror. Being with Emily was amazing but Jason didn’t think they were ready to go that far. That didn’t stop his mind from going to the place where he paid her back for her kindness. In his dreams, he paid her back all night long. Jason shuddered and Emily cuddled in his arms.

“Erin and I picked out this apartment after I was emancipated. Then she worked her magic to get Hotch and Spencer ‘transferred’ so they could come live with me.”

“That’s what she did?”

“Yeah. We didn’t want to be separated; we were the only family we had. I don't know all the details of what she did, and probably don’t want to, but I'm sure if anyone decided to follow the paperwork everything would be kosher. She has friends in high places.”

“No one will.” Emily replied. “Unfortunately no one misses a couple of orphans.”

“True.” he sighed as he stroked her back. “This is my home. Of course I remember where I used to live with my mom and dad; it wasn’t far from here. I hope those memories never leave me. But here…”

“It’s yours.”

“Yeah. I'm 18 and I've already had my own home. I'm raising a family and I love them all so much. This house is a good thing though; we need the space to grow.”

“But? I sense a but.”

“I wish I could’ve done this.”

“What do you mean?” Emily asked. “You did do it.”

“This is your money, Emily.”

“It’s our money, and don’t interrupt me.” she sensed his interjection. “We’re a family and that money is for all of us to live comfortably. The first thing we wanted was a house. It’s the perfect place for us to grow into adulthood. And maybe one day you and I will raise our children there. One day a long, long time from now.”

“Nice save.” He smiled a little.

“I mean it Jason. I mean everything I've ever said to you.”

“I know that.”

“You're only 18; it would make sense that you couldn’t afford a house. I only have the money because my parents are dead. All of us have faced tragedies and sadness. Together we’re stronger and this move will be good for us.”

“I know.” He kissed her forehead. “I'm excited, Em; everyone is excited. Hotch and I will be at the new house tomorrow when the furniture arrives. And Dave got the hauler for Saturday so we can clean out the apartment.”

“It'll be hard to leave this place. There are so many fond memories.”

“Definitely.”

Jason nodded, holding her closer. When he closed his eyes he could see Emily the first time he met her. She was battered and bruised but determined to keep her head up. He remembered the first tentative breakfast they shared as a family and the lunch they had alone that afternoon. He could see her laughing with Derek and her relationship with Hotch going from glacial to The Wonder Twins.

He remembered the first kiss they shared just a couple of weeks after meeting. He could still feel the kiss they had just that evening. Jason could always go back and find that look of awe when she saw her first Independence Day fireworks. The past year was just a series of Emily home movies. Of course there were other experiences like his senior year of high school, Dave and Erin marrying and starting their own family, and their first family Christmas. But when he closed his eyes at night it was Emily.

“I love you, Katya.” He whispered.

“I love you too. I never thought this kind of happiness could be mine. The storms still scare me but you're my port.”

“Always.”

Emily never truly thought she’d have a family. There were so many people, who didn’t know her, who thought she was lucky. She was a Prentiss, she was loaded, and her life should be good. Well it was but it had nothing to do with that. She didn’t find true happiness until she moved into a crowded second floor walkup in The Palisades of DC.

Nothing beat playing checkers with Penelope, helping JJ with her math, or listening to Spencer talk about the books he read. She had two true brothers in Morgan and Hotch; the kind of guys who took bullets for the people they loved. Lindsay was her best friend and they would be there for each other through good times and bad. Even Dave and Erin took on the role of an Aunt and Uncle. They were there when being an adult was more than Emily could handle. Their presence allowed for her to still enjoy being 15 sometimes.

There were no words for what Jason meant to her. She tried to write it down once, articulate with her pen what she couldn’t with her voice. It didn’t quite work. He was all of her favorite things bundled up in a wonderful package. He taught her things, made her think, feel, and shiver with delight.

He made her want to be a giddy girl and sophisticated woman in the same breath. She could tell him anything, never feared it, and Jason accepted her. Their love was real and she hoped it was lasting. Emily had been through enough hellfire in just 15 short years. She could only hope the rest of her life would be as joyous as the past year had been.

“I’ll always love you.” she kissed his neck.

“Sometimes I worry we’ll drift apart.” Jason replied.

“Not us.”

“It happens to a lot of people you know.”

“Not us, Jason.”

“How do you know?” he asked.

People always lauded Jason’s intellectual abilities. But when he came to love he was as dumb as a stump.

“We have so many more good times to look forward to.” Emily said. “And we’re family…you never desert family.”

“But…”

“Shh,” Emily put her finger on his lips. “Let’s go to sleep. We have plenty of work to do tomorrow.”

“You'll be OK with the storm raging?”

“I'm always OK in your arms.”

“We should have a goodnight kiss." Jason asked.

“We had one earlier.” She replied in an innocent tone.

“I think we should have another. Let’s say it’s for good luck.”

Emily didn’t object when Jason turned on his side and held her body close to his. Who in their right mind would object to or deny themselves the rush of feelings that came with his lips, his hands, and his want? She wanted it just as much. And that was why they would never drift apart.

***

  



End file.
